


What Comes Next

by startaroux



Series: Hotel Merry [2]
Category: One Piece
Genre: ASL Brothers, Ace and Sabo are alive, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Attempt at Humor, Gen, Ghosts, Haunted Hotel, Light Angst, Not Beta Read, Not a death fic, Past Character Death, Skull Jokes Galore, Supernatural Elements, a hint of namivivi if you squint really hard and hold your breath, language warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:09:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21783817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startaroux/pseuds/startaroux
Summary: Sabo wants to see Luffy again. The only problem is, Luffy's dead. Ace just got dragged along for the ride.meanwhile,A new resident arrives at the Hotel Merry.
Relationships: Brook & Monkey D. Luffy, Monkey D. Luffy & Portgas D. Ace & Sabo, Portgas D. Ace & Sabo
Series: Hotel Merry [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531871
Comments: 45
Kudos: 114





	1. O Brother, Where Art Thou?

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the second installment of my Hotel Merry au! I had a lot of fun writing this and I hope y'all have fun reading it. Updates should come every Friday.
> 
> If you haven't read the first part of this series, I would definitely suggest it so you get a feel for what's going on here.
> 
> Also, for the purpose of one particular joke I plan to include in the future regarding Franky’s year of death, this au takes place in the year 2020.

“Listen, all I’m trying to say is—”

“Ace, will you shut the fuck up for two seconds? I’m not turning the car around and that’s the last I’m gonna say about it.”

“Ughhh!” Ace growls, obviously frustrated. He crosses his arms and glares out the passenger side window like a petulant child. “I just don’t see the point is all, Sabo. He’s gone. Nothing you or I can do will ever bring him back, you _do_ know that, right?”

Sabo’s grip on the steering wheel tightens, but he never takes his eyes off the road. “Yeah. I know it, dammit. I’m not an idiot.” 

God, does Sabo know. He’s screamed. He’s cried. Begged and pleaded, even, for it to not be true. For Grandpa Garp to come back and tell him that it was all just a stupid lie. A cruel, elaborate prank to scare the shit out of them. That it had all been Luffy’s idea, and here he is now, see? He’s just fine!

But... No. It hadn’t been a lie. It was all real and Luffy was really... 

_Fuck._

He won't cry again. He won't cry. At least not right now with Ace grumbling in the seat next to him.

Their little brother. The snaggle-toothed kid that chased after them no matter where they went and wormed his way into their lives and into their hearts, only to die so fucking unexpectedly. 

They didn’t... They never even got to say goodbye to him. And that might be what hurts the most. 

But that, at least, they can change. Kind of. Maybe. 

It’s not like Sabo even needs Ace’s help. He can do this alone if Ace wants to keep being a little bitch about it. 

Sabo is going to have his chance to say goodbye to Luffy no matter what. End of story.

“I’m only riding out here with you because this is my car,” Ace pipes up again as he glances at Sabo out of the corner of his eye. “So, you know. Don’t expect me to take part in whatever weird shit it is you’re trying to pull here.”

“Yeah, Ace. I’d picked up on that. Thanks.”

Sabo isn’t really angry at Ace. Annoyed? Yes. Disappointed? Maybe. But not angry. 

They've been bickering like this ever since Luffy passed. More so than what's normal for brothers, and it's been painful for them both. Excruciating, actually. And they usually get along so well.

Ace just has a different way of dealing with his grief than Sabo does. That's the main issue. Ace wants to shut it all out. To bottle his emotions up and pretend it didn’t happen. To forget that he would never hear Luffy’s laughter or see his smile again.

Sabo, on the other hand, has let himself feel everything. He's shaken hands with his grief and allowed it to stay for as long as it needs. Luffy deserves nothing less.

That doesn’t mean Ace isn’t grieving, though, and Sabo can’t really blame him for not wanting to go find the place his little brother died.

But Sabo needs this. He needs to see it. He needs to feel the atmosphere and take in the surroundings of that place, the sights and smells. It'll help him feel closer to Luffy, even in death. He just knows it will. 

And if Sabo just so happens to have brought candles and a ouija board with him, so what? If Luffy is... _still around_ _,_ it’s not like his spirit would hurt his own brothers or anything. Probably. He’ll have his chance to say goodbye and tell Luffy that he’ll always love him. He can finally get some fucking closure.

And if Luffy isn’t there? If he's gone for good? Well, then that’s fine too. Just knowing he’s already moved on to his next great adventure will be enough for Sabo.

-*-*-*-

Luffy awakens to singing. Which is kinda weird. Ace and Sabo don't sing, not like that at least. He wishes they did though. Musicians are cool as hell.

_"Yo ho and up she rises, yo ho and up she rises~"_

Sooo yeah, definitely not Ace or Sabo. And... he's definitely not at home, either. So, where—?

_"Yo, ho and up she rises early in the morning~"_

The singing is slow but lively at the same time. Kinda creepy but, like, in a good way? Whatever, Luffy’s into it either way. He thinks he recognizes the song from somewhere but he isn't completely sure.

_"What shall we do with a drunken sailor? What shall we do with a drunken sailor?~"_

Luffy's eyes scan the room, but he can't see much. Just brick, cement, and more brick. For real, though, what is this place?

The singing man is drawing closer and closer now. Luffy's heart is racing in his chest, not really from fear, but definitely from excitement. He really wants to meet this musical guy. Maybe they can talk and he can teach Luffy the song and—

_"Chuck him in a scupper with a hosepipe bottom, chuck him in a—"_

The singing voice suddenly stops. 

"Why, good morning to you, sir. It seems you’ve decided to join us after all."

Luffy spins around to get a good look at the stranger and is shocked, intrigued and altogether _very_ pleased to find an actual skeleton standing… uh, floating… uh… whatever, _existing_ right in front of him. 

_A freaking skeleton. Siiiiiick._

"Ah, I do apologize if I've given you a fright. Not much one can do about his appearance these days, _yohohoho_."

The skeleton laughs like a pirate. The skeleton laughs like a pirate, _holy shit_ this is so freaking cool! And is that an afro?!

"My name is Brook, good sir, and I am honored to be your humble servant," skull guy — Brook — says with a low bow where he bends himself almost completely in half, hat and hair touching the ground.

Wait, what was that? Servant? Hold up, Luffy doesn't want one of those. He's about to let Brook know he's off the hook, but the skeleton seems to have already picked up on Luffy's confusion. 

"Ah, but folks these days never exchange such pleasantries, do they?" Brook scratches his skull as he thinks for a moment. 

"Allow me to begin anew," he says, holding out his hand. "Hello. I'm Brook and it's a pleasure to meet you. What might your name be?"

“Name’s Luffy,” he says, grinning, and grips at the bones of Brook’s hand the best that he can. 

“So, uhh, before we talk about the whole skeleton situation you got going on there, where am I and how did I get here?” Luffy asks. “Oh! Also, if you’re a ghost — I’m just gonna say you are — how come I can touch you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Brook is singing is "Drunken Sailor," a popular sea shanty you've probably heard somewhere before. Brook is/was a classical musician in this au, but damn if he didn't love him some sea shanties.
> 
> I'm on [Tumblr](https://ruskaina.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nopleaseexplain) so feel free to scream at me


	2. RIP to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace and Sabo have a sibling moment and Luffy gets used to being a ghost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost forgot to post this today! Good thing I remembered, or I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.
> 
> Enjoy!

“Alright... 707... 705... 703. I think this is us,” Sabo mutters to Ace, but also no one in particular because Ace is _still_ getting on his nerves. He snatches the key out of Sabo’s hand before he can even step toward the door.

“Cool, let’s go in. I’m fried.” Ace says. “I call bathroom first.”

“Ugh, fine.” Sabo rolls his eyes while Ace turns the key in the lock. “But can you at least crack a window or something if you’re gonna stink the place up? We’re sharing this room.”

“Oh, shut it.”

While Ace makes a beeline for the bathroom, Sabo takes a moment to look around the hotel room. 

The exterior of the Hotel Merry had been quite a sight itself, almost gaudy in an old-timey way, but still very beautiful to look at. The outer walls were a bright, clean white color that shone without a stain in sight, and there were embellishments around nearly every window all the way up to the top floor. It was easily the most eye-catching building on the street, if not the whole city. 

And if Sabo thought the outside was cool, the inside was absolutely insane.

In the lobby, there were mirrors and old-as-shit paintings on every wall. Chandeliers hung from the ceilings and a giant wooden grandfather clock that was probably worth more than Sabo’s entire college tuition stood proudly in the center of it all. 

Every surface shone like it had been polished to perfection moments before. Even the detailing on the ceilings was like nothing Sabo had ever seen, and he’s seen some fancy-ass hotels in his lifetime. An air of sophistication hung about the place so stifling that Sabo was afraid to breathe the wrong way at first, despite the friendliness of the blue-haired receptionist who checked them in.

The actual room itself is much cozier, though. It’s actually two rooms; a suite connected by a set of french doors. The furniture is a bit mismatched and old-looking, but Sabo supposes that’s part of the place’s charm. The curtains are just fancy enough not to be tacky, and the large bed looks _very_ comfortable, which is all Sabo really cares about in the end.

Ace steps out of the bathroom just as Sabo is finishing up his brief tour of the place.

“So, where’s the other bed?” Ace asks, zipping his shorts back up. “I know you didn’t drag me all the way out here for me to sleep on the couch.”

Sabo looks around the room in the most sarcastic way he can possibly manage. 

“I dunno, I guess it got up and walked out,” he says, punching Ace lightly on the shoulder. “It’s a king-sized bed, idiot. Since when are you too good to share?”

Ace rubs his shoulder in mock agitation. “Gee, I don’t know. I guess since my brother decided to go insane by trying to summon the dead spirit of my other brother. It’s fucking weird, man!”

Shit. Sabo can only stare, not really sure what to say to that. He’s a little shocked, a little embarrassed. How did he—?

“What, you thought I didn’t notice the candles and freaking chalk?” Ace asks, probably a little more harshly than he intended. “What are you gonna do, draw pentagrams in blood?”

“No, not blood,” Sabo answers lamely. “That’s what the chalk is for.”

“Oh, great!” Ace laughs breathlessly, running a hand through his hair. “At least I know you’re not gonna be sacrificing goats. Small blessings, huh?”

Sabo folds his arms across his chest as his gaze falls to the floor. He doesn’t really have anything to say in his own defense. He just wants to talk to Luffy, that’s all. 

And what about it? Why can’t Ace just let him have this one thing? He knows it’s not _entirely_ sane, but since when have they ever done anything that made sense?

“So yeah…” Ace continues when Sabo remains silent for too long. “Maybe I’m afraid of you strangling me in my sleep or something...”

“Whatever, man,” Sabo has to laugh at that. “You know if I wanted you dead I’d just whack you upside the head with a pipe or something. A lot less work.”

The two brothers chuckle together before falling silent a moment later. It's the first glimpse of normalcy they’ve seen in a while. Sabo almost wants to pull Ace into a hug, but that’s not really something they do. Even before. Luffy was always the one who loved hugs.

“Well,” Sabo says, grabbing his duffel bag and hoisting it over his shoulder. “Guess I’d better get on with it. See you later?”

“Yeah, yeah, go drink your blood and take care of your satanic rituals or whatever,” Ace responds, waving him off. “I’ll just chill here.”

“Yeah, okay,” Sabo says with a hint of a smile. “See ya.”

Ace grabs the tv remote and flops on the bed, content to watch old game shows until his brother comes back. Hopefully, he won’t take too long.

-*-*-*-

“Okay, so... I’m dead.” Luffy says with a tilt of his head, eyebrows knit together in slight confusion. “For real?”

“Yes.” 

“Like, for real, for real?” Luffy asks again.

“As I’ve said, my boy,” Brook nods solemnly. “I speak only the truth.”

“And I’m a ghost now. And you’re a ghost…” Luffy pauses for a second, realizing something. “Holy shit.”

Luffy takes a big step from where he’d been standing this whole time, but instead of placing his foot back on the ground, he leaps and flies head-first through the basement wall, all the while squealing and whooping like a loon.

“Ah...” Brook reaches out a hand after him, utterly confused by this reaction. He’d been expecting the usual crying, denial, anger, anything but whatever _that_ just was.

He hears Luffy before he sees him again, laughter ringing out and echoing throughout the cold, dark basement he’s called home for the past couple of centuries. It’s nice.

“Brook, I can fly! I can go through walls!” Luffy yells, face alight with glee. “I’m flying through the freaking walls!” 

Slowing himself down, he floats back in front of Brook, stomach facing the floor and chin in his hands, with a grin plastered across his face. “Yep, being dead’s pretty rad if I’m honest with you.”

Brook isn’t entirely sure what that means, but he’s happy to see a ghost with a more positive outlook on death for once. Unlike that last fatality a couple of decades ago... He shudders at the thought of _him._

“Well then, what shall we do now?” Brook asks, genuinely curious about what this boy will want to do with his newfound life-after-death. “There are others like us roaming about the place. I’m sure you’d like to meet them.”

“Oh sweet, really?!” Luffy’s eyes are practically sparkling at the idea as he rolls through the air around Brook. “More ghost buds? Are they friendly?”

“The majority of them are, at least,” Brook says. He has to continue turning in circles to keep up with Luffy’s movements. “Though, you needn’t worry about the others. They certainly can’t kill you a second time, _yohohoho!”_

Luffy laughs as well. “HA! Yeah, I guess you’re right about tha- _adeeuuaalgfhh.”_

Before Luffy can finish speaking, about a liter of water comes cascading out of his mouth and onto the floor. He sits back in shock, staring at where the water disappears into the cement without making a single splash. Almost like it doesn’t really exist at all.

“ _Augh-_ What the fuck - _eughh -_ was that?!” Luffy coughs.

“Ah. I’d nearly forgotten about that. A side-effect of your current deceased state, to be sure,” Brook says, tapping a finger bone to his jawbone. “Yes, it’s quite possible you should experience such a thing for... well, ever.”

It isn’t really something that can be helped. The others have certainly tried, of course, but all they’d been able to come up with was a temporary fix. Better than nothing, he supposes. 

The boy who’d arrived shortly after that contraption exploded... The handyman. He’d had the worst of it, falling to pieces all over the place. What a mess that was. Now he can hold himself together with concentration along with all the practice he’s had over the years. If only he weren’t startled so easily.

“For— Oh...” Luffy suddenly takes on a more solemn tone of voice. “It’s water because I drowned, right?”

“So, you do remember, then?” Brook asks. 

The spirits that turn up here usually don’t remember their own deaths until much later, if at all, and often end up having to have the blanks filled in by the preexisting inhabitants. That is to say, if their deaths were even witnessed by the others in the first place. That one woman on the fourth floor shall always be a mystery, it seems.

“Nah, not really.” Luffy rubs and lightly beats at his chest a few times, as though it were still filled with water. “I just know I can’t swim, and I’ve already almost drowned like 900 times, so it’s not really too much of a stretch, ya know?”

Though his words are detached, Luffy’s voice still betrays an underlying sadness and his eyes are far away. Elsewhere. It pulls at Brook’s heartstrings. Well... it would if he had any. Ha.

“Are you feeling well, my boy?” he asks, wanting to help however he can. Brook had decided from the day that the chef’s spirit appeared in front of him, heated and confused, that he would remain here to guide future souls into this afterlife of sorts.

Anything to make this horrible transition more comfortable than it was for him. He wouldn’t wish that loneliness on anyone in the world.

“Yeah.” Luffy shakes his head, bringing Brook back to the present. “I was just remembering some things I left behind in life. No worries.” 

Though Brook died with no companions left in his own life, he understands what Luffy must be feeling. He’s worried for his loved ones. 

Brook doesn’t brood over the thought, however, because now that infectious grin is back on the boy’s face. Oh, how he wishes he had a face still so that he might be able to smile back. He can smile in his soul, at least.

“Hey, by the way, thanks for everything, man. I really owe ya one,” Luffy says, latching onto his back in something resembling a hug. When was the last time Brook was hugged, again?

“You owe me one of what?”

“Haha! Oh, nevermind.” Luffy starts floating in circles around Brook’s head again. “Oh! My dude! Can you introduce me to your ghost buds now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hotel Merry’s looks are based directly on the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, Louisiana, which is actually kind of haunted itself.
> 
> Let me know what you think :)


	3. Ace vs. Sp00ky Gh0sts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ace is straight up not having a good time.

Hey! Please go look at [this picture of ghost!Zoro](https://cowboyzoro.tumblr.com/post/189673846937/yeah-being-a-ghost-is-a-laugh-a-minute-i-cant) that tumblr user cowboyzoro drew! It's really good! They're also [Vandereer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vandereer/pseuds/Vandereer) on here, so y'all should really go read their stuff. 

* * *

Ace doesn’t get it.

He doesn’t understand why Sabo has to hold on to things like he does. What, does he think if he finds Luffy’s ghost he’ll be able to bring him back from the dead or something? Fucking ridiculous is what it is.

Luffy’s dead. Gone. That’s it. No amount of crying or praying or talking about it is ever gonna bring him back. Sabo’s just delusional, that’s all. He’s always been so emotional like that.

Their little brother’s death hit both of them hard. And while Ace can see reason and deal with things like death from his own past experiences, Sabo’s never had someone close to him die before. He only had to come live at the home with the rest of them because both of his parents had been thrown in federal prison for 20 years with no parole.

To be fair, that’s probably why he’s acting like this. Maybe Ace should be more patient with Sabo, help him through his grief and all. But then, that would require actually _thinking_ and _talking_ about the issue at hand, and well... Ace just doesn’t want to talk about it.

He idly flips through the channels on the television for a while until boredom wins out and he finally shuts it off. How long did Sabo say he was going to be gone again? How long has it even been?

Ace checks the clock on the wall, only to find that it hasn’t moved for what seems like hours. 

“Huh. Must be broken,” he says aloud to himself, only to fill up the silence.

He fishes his phone out of his pocket then, only to find that the battery’s dead. Stupid piece of crap. Should be about time for an upgrade anyway. 

_KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK_

Ace jumps at the sound. Someone’s knocking on the door? Sabo has the key with him, so unless he lost it already, it shouldn’t be him. 

He slides off the bed and walks over to look out the peephole at the stranger. Might have the wrong door. This hotel is huge as fuck.

Ace squints to look through the tiny glass circle, but sees only an empty hallway on the other end. There’s no one there. Maybe they’re really short? Or some dumb kid is running up and down the hallway knocking on random doors. 

“Who is it?” He calls out, just in case. 

_“Umm, yessir, I’m here to set your clock straight,”_ a timid voice says from the other side. Muffled. _“Heard it might be broken.”_

Ace frowns. The clock... Guess it was already messed up when they got here then? He wasn’t entirely sure, but whatever. The guy’s just here to do his job. Better let him get to it.

Ace opens the door to an empty hallway. 

Alright, what the fuck? Whoever those kids’ parents are, they really need to teach them some manners. Stupid youths and their stupid pranks. He shuts the door a bit more firmly than he had intended.

Still on the hunt to figure out what the goddamn time is, Ace heads over to the bedside table where he left his watch earlier, only to find it missing. That’s odd. He knows for a fact he set it on the table because it had been making his wrist itch earlier, thus why he took it off in the first place, so where…?

Ace drops to his hands and knees to check the floor around him, thinking that maybe it fell off the table and slid under the bed or something.

Hmm. Nothing. Crap. That watch is all he has left of his mom. If he’s lost it...

No, it has to be around here somewhere.

As Ace stands there, hands on his hips, supremely perplexed by the circumstances and series of strange events, he feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. A chill runs down his spine. 

_tick. tock. tick. tock. tick. tock._

That’s the wall clock. _Now_ it’s working? Something’s... not right. Shit.

He closes his eyes and turns around slowly, dreading what he might see. 

Yeah, he knows about this place’s reputation. The things people have seen and heard. Ace doesn’t normally believe in ghost stories, but he also isn’t one to take a possibly dangerous situation lightly. It was one of the many, _many_ reasons he didn’t want to come here.

“Okay,” Ace whispers, mentally preparing himself.

He opens his eyes. There, standing in the doorway is... 

Nothing.

“Goddamn stupid hotel with its stupid shitty vibes,” Ace gripes, rubbing at his face in exasperation. “Fuck.”

What an actual idiot. He stalks over to the mirror to give himself a good, hard look and finds his face is flushed red, probably from his own embarrassment. He combs his fingers through his hair for a moment, trying to calm himself down.

It’s okay. He’s just on edge from everything that’s happened lately. Maybe he really should talk to Sabo about all this. Might make him feel better at the very least.

**“Better watch your shit here, freckles.”**

Ace chokes and his blood runs cold in his veins. Who said that? Who fucking said that?! The voice was gravelly, whispered right behind him, close to his ear. He spins around but sees nothing.

**“You think I’m gonna let you leave?”**

Okay, that was a lot closer than the first one. And way more sinister. Shit shit shit shit shit. Ace is shivering. When did it get so cold in here?

**“Tell me where you hid your booze and I might let you live, pretty boy.”**

“Fuuuuck. Sabo?” Ace glances around frantically, even though he knows it absolutely, definitely isn’t his brother. But he honestly doesn’t have the capacity for rational thought at the moment. “Sabo was that you?”

He hears a deep chuckle, behind him again, now closer to the mirror.

**“Nah.”**

Nah...? Strange word choice for a ghost. That stops Ace in his tracks for all of two seconds before he bolts toward the door in pursuit of Sabo.

In all his frenzied rushing, he catches a glimpse of _something_ in the mirror. Something green and reddish maybe? Whatever, he isn’t about to fucking examine it. 

It was enough for him to slam the door on the way out and jet toward the elevator, nearly jamming his finger from pressing the button so hard.

As the elevator door closes painfully slowly behind him, he thinks he can hear someone yelling from down the hallway in the direction of his hotel room.

**"Dammit to hell, son, what have I told you about—"**

The doors slide shut. That was way too fucking close. Ace has no idea what that _thing_ in the mirror was, and he isn’t about to try and find out, either. 

Wait. Hold up, did it really call him “freckles” though? What the actual fuck.

Before he can process this, the elevator doors slide open again, this time on a different floor. He hadn’t pressed any buttons. The elevator just... moved on its own. Great. Cool stuff.

Pointedly ignoring the floor that the elevator tried to send him to, Ace presses the button that should send him to the first floor. The doors close and the elevator starts moving. 

Up. Now it’s freaking moving up, of course, it is. This hotel is goddamn haunted, what else does he expect?

Ace decides, against his better judgment, to try the button one more time. Just _one more time_. Could just be some faulty wiring maybe? Probably not, but Ace is an optimistic guy.

The needle starts moving down. Finally. Thank fuck. 

6... 5... 4... 3... 3...

3\. So, that’s where we’re stopping now? Whatever, he can just take the stairs down from here if that’s how it’s gonna be. 

As he exits the elevator, Ace ignores the little voice in the back of his head telling him that stairwells and hallways can, in fact, be just as haunted as elevators. 

Instead, he listens to what sounds like the voice of a woman chuckling at him in his current predicament. Though there’s no woman in sight, he still flips her off for good measure as he stalks away in search of the stairs.

Only now he can’t find the stupid stairs. How hard could it be to put out an exit sign in this maze of a hotel? This has to be a fire hazard or something, right? 

While thinking of all the ways that a fire on this floor could go horribly wrong, Ace spots a door he hasn’t tried yet. Here’s hoping there's a goddamn exit behind door number 800.

Ace opens the door and sees not a stairwell, but a pristine, modern kitchen shining from floor to ceiling in stainless steel. His eyes follow the line of ovens and spotless countertops along the wall that lead to two gigantic refrigerators at the opposite end of the room.

So he’s found the back door to the kitchen, huh? Ace knew this hotel had a highly acclaimed restaurant in it, but he never even entertained the idea of eating there. He almost definitely can’t afford it. 

But then again, all of this running around _has_ made him kind of hungry... And it’s not like one tiny snack is going to put Hotel Merry in the red or anything... 

These thoughts run through Ace’s mind as he starts poking around for something to eat. Yeah. Just a quick snack. Really, how haunted could a kitchen be?

As he soon finds out, a kitchen can be very haunted.

While Ace is poking through one of the refrigerators, something whizzes past him and embeds itself into the stainless steel surface, mere inches from his head.

A knife. A fucking— It’s a fucking knife. Ace whirls around just in time to see a wooden ladle flying straight at his head. He quickly ducks out of the way and glances up to see a figure, all blue and black and shrouded in smoke and fire that he, oddly enough, can’t smell barreling towards him.

**"And just what in the hell do you think you're doing?!"** The apparition screams and Ace feels like he might just pass out right there on the floor. **"Out of my kitchen, you damn scoundrel! Out before I kick you into next year!”**

Not needing to be told twice, Ace does exactly that. But not before taking a metal spatula to the ass on his way out.

Sprinting down the hallway in a near manic state, Ace has fucking had it with this place. That's it. He doesn’t care if he has to run for hours through this goddamn maze of a hotel, he’s going to find Sabo and get the fuck out while he still can.

He spots a sign for the stairs — _finally! —_ in a corner of the building he’s absolutely sure he’s passed before. Really doesn’t phase him anymore. He could find out he’s in actual Hell right now and he wouldn’t be too terribly surprised.

As Ace bounds down the stairs, he catches a glimpse of a small figure on the landing that causes his steps to slow. Is it another one of those demons or is it really just a kid this time? 

He looks normal enough, even though he apparently doesn’t know how hiding is supposed to work. The kid has one eye hidden behind the railing and the entire rest of his body on full display. Poor dumb kid.

“Hey... isn’t that backward?” Ace asks, lowering his guard enough to let a small smile cross his features. Little dude’s just a kid, after all. Maybe he’s just as lost as Ace is and needs help.

Upon hearing his question, the boy gasps and sinks into the floor. 

Ace doesn’t know how much more he can take of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Every straw hat except Brook and Luffy takes part in this chapter. Let me know if you found them all 😝 And I think having Ace running around terrified out of his mind has been my favorite thing I've ever written so far, so thanks for reading!


	4. Supernatural Hide and Seek

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lookin' for ghost buds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SUCK AND I'M SORRY
> 
> I've been really discouraged about my writing lately so I haven't had much motivation to write this. I think I've broken out of that a little bit though. This chapter isn't very long (I don't think it even breaks 1000) but think of it as like a little snack before the last chapter. Hope y'all enjoy.

“And now, if you would kindly follow me, I shall take you to meet some of the others,” Brook says, floating upwards through the basement ceiling.

Not wanting to end up lost underground, Luffy sticks closely behind him, effortlessly slipping through the layers of concrete, earth, and wood.

It’s still a strange feeling, and Luffy isn’t quite sure how long it’ll take him to get used to it. It’s kind of like he’s here, but also not.

He also tried picking up and touching some loose pieces of rubble in the basement earlier but nothing really happened with any of his attempts.

It was frustrating, to say the least.

Only being able to touch other dead people might be difficult for him in the long run. Apparently, Luffy has always been a very “tactile” person. 

Whatever that means. He’d just heard Sabo say it once.

“Only some?” Luffy asks, Brook’s words finally dawning on him. 

“Well-” Brook clasps his hands behind his back as he continues upward and slightly to the left. “‘Tis as I’ve said before. Some are friendlier than others.”

“Hmm.” Luffy lets that ruminate for about two seconds. “Well, whatever.”

As the conversation tapers off, the two figures arrive at what looks to be the first floor, if the jazzy decorations are anything to go by.

“This is the lobby right?”

“Verily. And here should also be our lovely resident criminal, Miss Nami,” Brook explains, scanning the room for that tell-tale orange glow, but curiously coming up short.

“Oh, deadass? She's a criminal?” Luffy perks up with curiosity. “What’d she do?”

The skeleton looks back at him for a moment before answering.

“Oh, I’ve ah… I’ve actually never thought to ask.” 

Brook clears his throat - though he doesn’t have one - and moves further into the room. 

Now that he thinks about it, he doesn’t really know much more than surface details about the souls he’s been destined to spend centuries with. Perhaps he should pay more attention.

“In any case, she should be here watching over the worker girl with that unnatural hair…” While searching, Brook turns his head around in a full circle without moving his body. “However, mine eyes have failed in finding her. Ah, though--”

“You don’t have any!” Luffy blurts out before Brook could get to the punchline. “Got ‘em!”

The two howl in laughter and a couple of hotel guests turn their heads to look in their general direction, but none of them say anything. 

It only takes a second for Luffy to realize they’re not looking directly at him, but  _ through _ him instead. That they actually can’t see him.

Freaky.

Brook decides to move on to another location to try and find the handyman next. 

Apparently, he’s “one of the friendliest gents you’ll ever meet” though Brook does also warn Luffy not to startle “the poor fellow” if it can be helped. Doesn’t say why, though.

As the two spectres float along down a particularly long hallway, Luffy hears Brook humming that tune again -- the one he’d been singing before they met officially -- and something clicks in his mind.

“Oh!” Luffy twirls around to stare at Brook in excitement. “Spongebob!”

“Pardon me?” Brook asks, cocking his skull to the side.

“That song you were singing earlier,” Luffy explains, gesturing wildly, “I could have sworn I'd heard it somewhere before and I just remembered, it’s from Spongebob!”

Brook stares for a few seconds too long. 

“What is this ah... Sponge-Bob? If you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

“Brook.” Luffy looks at him, deadpan. Almost all of the humor has left his friendly features. “You can’t play me. Everyone’s seen Spongebob before. Or at least knows what it is.”

Luffy turns back around, shakes his head, sighs, and continues on down the hallway leaving Brook visibly confused despite his lack of a face, and quite unsure of what to make of that particular response.

Until he realizes the boy has no clue of where he’s going and hurries to catch up to him to lead the way, previous conversation mostly forgotten.

When the two arrive at what was once the boiler room, there’s no handyman in sight.

"If he's not here, he might be in the kitchen keeping the chef company," Brook offers.

He’s starting to get a bit concerned for the whereabouts of his neighbors, but decides not to let himself get worked up over it. 

It’s not like they have anywhere else to go. They all have to be around here somewhere.

“Yeahhh good idea, Brook,” Luffy says, excitement barely contained. “I’m freakin’ starving.”

As the pair of them ascend a quiet stairwell, Brook finds that he, quite literally, doesn't have the heart to tell Luffy he won’t be able to eat anything in his state.

They happen upon the empty kitchen, and it’s only when Luffy is passing back and forth through the refrigerator while unsuccessfully trying to raid it that Brook realizes he’s missed a crucial fact.

Luffy is a new arrival. The first they’ve had in decades, in fact. Of course the old spirits will have already been curious about the boy. 

Brook chuckles to himself. How terribly artless of him.

“My boy, I would like to apologize for bringing you on this wild goose chase,” Brook says while bowing his head. “But I do believe I’ve uncovered everyone’s whereabouts.”

Luffy pauses with his body sticking halfway out of the fridge.

“Oh, sweet! Where's that?”

“The place you died.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently, Drunken Sailor is also used a lot as Spongebob background music and I personally believe that modern au Luffy has never missed an episode in his life.
> 
> Next chapter is the last one!


	5. The Luffening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a family reunion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the final chapter. I really hope this is a fitting end for this particular story but more than that, I hope y'all enjoy it :)

Sabo steps into the large, first-floor pool room where his little brother drowned. 

Still smells like chlorine, even though the pool was drained after Luffy’s death. He wonders how long they’re going to keep it empty like that. The accident was nearly two weeks ago, after all.

It certainly adds to the spooky atmosphere, though. He doesn’t really know what it is, but there’s just something about a lifeless, dry pool that makes his creep meter go haywire. Like seeing an empty theater or going up to your school at night. 

Apparently, it was built as a regulation-size swimming pool in the 40’s during the hotel’s first renovation. Back then, people who were more serious about swimming for exercise could do laps and whatnot, but it was renovated a year ago to be more of a leisure-type place for families.

Taking the ouija board, chalk, and candles under his arm, Sabo pushes past the jumbled heaps of caution tape and descends the metal ladder down to the deep end. 

He realized before he got down here that he knows absolutely jack shit about how to speak to the dead, so he’ll have to consult the good ole reliable internet for that information. 

Should be fine.

He sets his bag down and pulls his phone out of his pocket. 

“Okay... Let’s see... How to summon spirits. Step One: Draw a... whatever the hell that is.”

Sabo takes a good, long look at the intricate symbol on his phone’s screen before gripping the chalk in his hand and setting to work. 

He copies everything down on the concrete pool floor to the best of his abilities, double-checking to make sure there are no marks out of place. He’s no artist, but he makes it work.

Dusting himself off, Sabo consults his phone once again.

“Step Two: Light candles in a circle.” 

Easy peasy. Sabo grins to himself. He’ll be talking to Luffy again in no time. He’s almost trembling with how excited he is.

Once the candles are lit and placed around him in a circle, Sabo checks the directions once more. 

“Step Three: Hold hands before--”

Oh. Hold hands?

Wait, does he need another person for this, or can he just hold his own hands? That seems kind of weird, but then again, nothing about this situation was ever normal in the first place. 

Sabo scratches his head, slightly confused about how to proceed.

Well. There is still _that._

Sabo unzips his duffel bag once again and pauses for only a moment before pulling out a dark red beanie. It used to be a much brighter color, but years of wear and tear have caused it to fade considerably. 

If Luffy’s spirit doesn’t respond to _this,_ then there’s probably no hope for anything else to work.

The kid wore this hat every single day of his life, and it’s only because of Grandpa Garp that he wasn’t buried with it. He was even wearing it when he died. 

Sabo doesn’t know the full story of how Luffy got the hat, but he knows it was his most treasured possession. He rarely let anyone else touch it.

“Okay then, Plan B. Worth a shot, I guess.”

Sabo places the hat at the center of the circle before setting the ouija board in front of it. He thinks back on all the movies he’s seen where one of these things was used to talk to the dead but he comes across the same problem, yet again. 

Can this thing even be used by one person? In the movies, there are always other people there. Why does summoning spirits always have to be such a group effort?

Ignoring his own thoughts, Sabo places both hands firmly on the planchette and takes a deep, calming breath.

“Umm... Spirits of the dead... If you can hear me... I’d like to speak to Luffy, please? Uh... now?”

Silence. Nothing but the rapid thumps of his own heartbeat in his chest and not even a vibration of movement from the planchette.

Sabo sighs, feeling quite a bit awkward about what he’s currently engaged in. 

How are you even supposed to talk to ghosts? Is there like a proper etiquette or something? 

He gathers up his wits and closes his eyes before trying again.

“Luffy... If you can hear this, it’s me, your brother. Sabo. I just... I guess I just want you to know that--”

Just then, as Sabo is on the brink of spilling his heart out to an otherwise empty room, he hears a loud _BANG_ as someone violently bursts through the door. 

Thinking he’s been caught, Sabo’s blood runs cold and he freezes in his tracks before hearing a frantic voice call out.

“SABO! WHERE THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU?!” the voice screams. 

“Ace?! That you?” he calls back, relieved. “Everything alright?”

He sees wavy black hair poke out over the edge of the pool before Ace jumps down next to him -- forgoing the ladder completely -- and grabs him by his shoulders.

“There’s some freaky shit going on in this hotel, man. We gotta leave _now_ ,” Ace urges, obviously trying and failing to remain calm. 

His eyes are sweeping over the room around them like he expects to be attacked at any moment from any direction.

Ace rarely ever gets worked up like this, so it’s making Sabo feel incredibly uneasy. 

“What freaky shit, Ace? What are you talking about?” 

“I’m talking about ghosts, bro. Freaking ghosts,” Ace hisses. 

“Wait, what? Really? Did you see Luffy??” Sabo asks, excitement bubbling to the surface again. But Ace doesn’t seem to share his enthusiasm.

“Wha- no! But I saw enough shit to keep me away from this place for the rest of my damn life, now let’s get _going_.”

Ace gets behind Sabo and grips his shoulder harder before attempting to steer him toward the steps leading out of the pool. 

But Sabo digs his heels in. He’s not going to miss this chance, even if every god in existence urges him to leave.

“Not until you tell me what you saw.”

Ace looks like he’s about ready to start pulling his own hair out. Or Sabo’s hair.

"It threw knives at me, man. Fucking _knives_.” 

Sabo narrows his eyes at that nonsensical statement and shakes his head. 

"Knives? What did?"

"I mean, it was more like a knife and a spoon, but still-- It could have killed me!” Ace raves, hands fisted in his brother’s shirt. “And my mom’s watch disappeared, and then a kid fucking sank into the floor and one of them _threatened to kill me_ if I didn’t give it booze, but I’m only 19, Sabo! I can’t even drink yet! And--”

“Whoa whoa whoa, hold up, hold up.” Sabo quiets Ace with a hand over his mouth. “So basically, what you’re telling me is that the hotel really _is_ haunted. Like, for real.”

“Mmhmph-”

“And that the ghosts keep following you around and have even attacked you??”

“Mhmph!”

“Oh. Well, in that case...” Sabo bows his head and takes a deep breath as an idea takes form in his mind. He looks back up with a maniacal grin. “This is fucking perfect! If the ghosts are inexplicably drawn to you, then you can be the bait and Luffy'll show up for sure!”

The look of utter shock and betrayal that slides across Ace’s face barely registers in Sabo’s mind as he drags his brother into the middle of the circle and pushes him to sit down. He then takes Luffy’s hat and shoves it down onto Ace’s head.

“You sit tight and wait,” Sabo commands.

Ace is too shocked and confused for his brain to make any executive decisions related to running away at the moment. By the time his mind finally catches up to what’s around him, however, it’s already too late.

Ace feels a familiar shiver run down his spine.

Nononononono- not again. This cannot be happening again.

But just as he’s about to warn Sabo, they both start to hear voices echoing around the room.

**“Soo, whaddya think they’re up to now, Sanji?”**

**“Well, I’d say it seems to be some sort of witchcraft... Better stay back, friend. They may be trying an exorcism.”**

**“What?? NO--”**

**“Usopp, Usopp. Calm yourself, you muttonhead. Can’t have you falling to pieces now, can we? Might frighten the poor fools.”**

Ace and Sabo stare at each other, one in shock and the other in horror as third and fourth voices are added into the mix.

**“I really don’t see why you gotta drag me into this bullshit. If some dumb kid bit the dust, that’s got nothing to do with me.”**

**“Whoa now son, hold your horses and shut your trap. I’ve had about enough out of you today.”**

A woman’s voice speaks up next.

**“Who knows if the kid’ll even show up, anyhow? Besides, who are** **_these_ ** **clowns?”**

Figures have been popping up in Sabo’s peripheral, but he still hasn’t looked away from Ace’s eyes, too afraid of what he might see. For a moment there, he forgot why he was even down here in the first place. 

They don’t exactly _sound_ like ghosts, other than the echoey, ethereal tones to their voices. Then again, Sabo doesn’t know what ghosts are supposed to sound like.

He knows they are, though. Maybe it’s their presence or maybe it’s instinctual. Somehow he knows that these people aren’t alive. 

And while that’s certainly a terrifying thing to consider, he finds that the idea of missing out on his chance to find Luffy is even more terrifying. 

Somehow, Sabo musters up his courage enough to look up at the spirits who are surrounding them.

When he looks at them, they flicker slightly. Like the flame of a candle in a drafty room. 

He finds it extremely hard to focus on them, but after a few seconds of consciously trying, it becomes easier to make them out. 

It still feels like his eyes are trying their damndest to just look away from their incorporeal forms and at anything else. Or like they’re trying to look through them. 

The first ghost he sees is the woman who had spoken before. Orange aura, orange hair styled into a short bob. She’s wearing old-timey trousers with suspenders over a white button-up, hands in her pockets. She's skinny, but somehow Sabo gets the feeling he wouldn't want to mess with her.

Directly across from her is a blond man in chef’s whites with a blue cloth tied around his neck who looks entirely unbothered by the scene in front of him. He’s... smoking? Can ghosts smoke? How does that even work?

Standing next to him -- or rather, hiding slightly behind him -- is a man with very long and _very_ curly tied-back hair dressed in what looks like old workman’s clothes. His yellowish trousers seem to be more patchwork than anything else and his face and arms are smudged with oil.

Further down to the left is a -- _oh, hell_ \-- a _very_ bloody man with green hair. Sabo is so shocked by the open wounds and sheer amount of blood covering the guy that he almost doesn’t notice the flannel shirt, ripped jeans, and black chucks the guy’s sporting. Looks like he came straight from an underground grunge concert in someone’s basement.

Gripping tightly onto his shoulder is an older guy who towers over all the others in both height and width. He looks like the type of guy you’d want on your side in a fight, but he also looks about ready to burst at the seams in his light blue tank top that’s probably two sizes too small for him.

Finally, directly across from the burly man is a solemn-looking woman in what appears to be a stylish purple pantsuit holding the hand of a young boy wearing pajamas and a hand-knitted pinkish stocking cap. Sabo hasn’t heard either of them speak, but the look on the dark-haired woman’s face almost makes him want to crawl into a hole and hibernate. 

"Sabo…"

He looks back at Ace to see the color's drained completely from his face. His brother hasn't looked away from him once since the ghosts started popping up, too petrified to move.

"Sabo," Ace whispers again. "Do y- do you see him? Is he there?"

Oh. Of course. 

Sabo feels the start of tears pricking at his eyes. 

Despite all of Ace’s complaining, he still wants to see Luffy just as much as Sabo does. Of course he does. No matter how terrified he may be at the moment.

He shakes his head. “No. Not yet, at least.”

Steeling himself with a steady breath, Sabo looks up at the spirits he had tried so hard to reach out to earlier.

It’s funny. Now that they're actually in front of him, he has no flowery words, no brave request of those long passed. He just really, _really_ fucking wants to see Luffy.

“I’m looking for my brother,” he says plainly, deciding to direct his words at the large, friendly-looking man. “He’s uh... he’s about this tall. He has really tan skin and black hair that probably looks like it needs a cut.”

Sabo can’t help but smile sadly at that last part before continuing.

“And-- He died here.” Looking around at the rest of the group, he implores, “Have any of you seen him? Please. We’re his brothers. We just want to say goodbye.”

There’s silence for a few seconds before the younger woman speaks up.

**“No. We haven’t seen anyone like that,”** she says resolutely. **“But... I suppose you’re welcome to sit a spell and wait for him with us.”**

Upon Sabo’s confused look, the inexplicably smokey one takes it upon himself to speak up.

As he talks, Sabo absently notes that he's not really smoking anything. The smoke is just rising from his body.

**“What my dear lady means is that we all are in anticipation of his arrival,”** he says. **“This, a full fortnight after his death, is the last night he can be expected to appear. And so, we wait.”**

“So he isn't here yet,” Sabo says for confirmation and he receives nods all around.

“Okay, then answer me this--”

**"Dun duh-duh dun duh-duh drunken sailor! Dun duh-duh dun duh-duh drunken sailor!"**

Sabo’s heart leaps at the sudden interruption and he feels a vice-like grip on his arm. When he looks up at Ace, he can tell they're both thinking the same thing.

They'd know that singing voice anywhere.

"Luffy?"

The singing stops abruptly, and the whole room is silent.

Sabo can't see anything over the edge of the pool, and right now the fact that he can't just teleport over to where he hears his brother’s voice has him feeling extremely annoyed.

He looks over to Ace who nods at him, wide-eyed, urging him to continue. Taking a breath, he calls out again.

“Luffy, can you hear me? It’s me, and Ace is here too. Are you there?”

**“... Sabo? Ace?”** A timid voice carries out across the room, the sound so uncharacteristic of their normally boisterous brother.

But there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind now. It’s him.

For the second time in that hour, Sabo sees the top of a head poke out over the pool’s edge but this time, there’s a strong crimson glow to it. Then a pair of dark brown eyes.

And then a shout.

**“Sabo! Ace!”**

And all at once Sabo sees the very thing he’s been wishing to see for so long. 

Here’s his brother, rushing at him again, arms stretched forward and ready to tackle him to the ground in the warmest hug he’s ever known, like he’s done so many times before.

But Luffy isn’t running. No. 

No, he’s _flying_. He’s fucking flying over closer and closer until--

He just passes right through.

Sabo feels a deathly chill run up his spine and he shivers like it isn’t the middle of the summer.

Ace is still standing next to him, watching the exchange, and Sabo sees his facial expression change from anticipation to shock to realization and finally disappointment all in the time it takes for Luffy to float back over to them.

**“Sorry guys...”** Luffy laughs and adjusts his hat, _and what the hell, is that a fucking ghost version of his beanie?_

**“So I guess that’s a no for hugs, then.”**

“Y-Yeah.” Ace is the first one to find his voice. “So you’re really-- wow. You’re really nothing but a ghost now, huh?”

Luffy frowns and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

**“Hey. That’s kinda rude.”**

“Is it, though?” Ace argues back, brain still running on reflex when talking to his brother, dead or alive.

Luffy thinks on that for a second and then shrugs. 

**“No idea!”**

“I gotta say, though, I really didn’t expect this to work out, I mean...” Ace scratches at the back of his neck and gestures at his little brother. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

Luffy shakes his head in bewilderment.

**“Yeah, for real. Honestly, I have no clue how long it’s gonna take to get used to this. And maybe I never will, but... it’s exciting as hell,”** he says with a grin.

Reflexively, Ace smiles and reaches out a hand to ruffle Luffy’s hair, but pulls it back at the last second; the sudden drop in temperature reminding him that his hand would only pass through it. 

They both chuckle and that sound is enough to shake Sabo out of his stupor.

“Hey Luffy,” he says. “Do you have any idea how long it took me to find you? Shit, I had to--”

“You? What about me?” Ace interjects. “I’m the one all the damn ghosts are drawn to, so I’m probably the one who brought him here.”

“What?! No way, it was m--”

**“Guys stop!”** Luffy yells over them, the paranormal echo in his voice shutting them both up much more quickly than usual.

**“Okay, first of all, don’t fight because I’m really happy to see you guys and I don’t really care how it happened. Second of all,”** Luffy lifts a hand to pick at his nose like he has an awful habit of doing, **“my new buddy Brook’s the one who brought me here, anyway.”**

“Who the hell's Brook?” they ask in unison.

Luffy doesn’t say anything else, he just lifts his other hand and points at the edge of the pool where a goddamn skeleton is already bending himself in half at the waist and murmuring a polite “how do you do.” 

Sabo and Ace both yelp and Luffy cackles in the background as the two hyperventilate.

Once they finally recover from that sudden shock, Sabo looks up at Luffy and decides that death hasn’t changed him one bit. It’s a thought that has him feeling at ease for the first time in weeks.

His little brother’s gonna be just fine. They all are.

“Hey Luffy. You know we love you, right?”

Sabo thinks he sees that red aura glow brighter as Luffy smiles back at him.

“And we miss you,” Ace adds in, “A hell of a lot. ”

Luffy pulls his beanie -- once again, extremely weird that there’s a ghost version of it -- down over his face and Sabo can’t tell if he’s blushing or if that’s just the red glow.

**“C’mon, guys,”** he says. **“I love you too but it’s kinda embarrassing to say it in front of other people, y'know** **?** **”**

Oh. They had forgotten about the other ghosts who are still hanging around and watching the entire conversation play out like it's a damn soap opera.

“Oh hey! What if we go up to the room and chill for a while? We’re here for the night anyway,” Sabo offers.

**“Ooh yeah, I wanna check out your room!”**

“Bro, it’s hella fancy.”

The chattering trio begins to walk up the steps and toward the exit, unaware and uncaring of the looks being exchanged behind them.

**“Hey now, hold up there,”** a voice says. **“Won’t you allow us a moment to introduce ourselves?”**

“Hell no, y’all can wait,” Ace barks over his shoulder, not at all happy that the _assholes_ who chased him up and down the hotel earlier and terrorized the shit out of him want to buddy up to his brother all of a sudden.

**“Heh, sorry folks,”** Luffy says, waving and floating backwards toward the exit. **“It was nice to meet you all though. See ya later!”**

-*-*-*-

The next morning isn’t sad and there are no tears shed. 

Nope, not at all. Definitely not.

As Ace and Sabo pack their bags, Luffy still tries -- and fails -- to give them hugs.

Ace doesn’t want to admit it, but it does get a tad annoying after a while, especially since every time Luffy passes through him, he feels a chill like Death itself is breathing down his neck.

Not pleasant.

They didn’t sleep much the night before. Only a couple of hours here and there. How could they have slept when there was just too much for the three of them to talk about?

Besides, Luffy couldn't sleep if he tried.

They asked Luffy all kinds of questions about the afterlife and what he’d seen and how it felt to be a ghost. 

Luffy asked them what his funeral was like and if anyone had danced on his grave yet like he’d always hoped they would. His brothers had to admit they hadn’t gotten around to that just yet.

For hours and hours, they'd talked and laughed and finally felt like a family again after so long apart.

Now it's morning, though, and with the sunlight comes the realization that they can't stay here much longer.

And even though talking with Luffy’s ghost has healed the pit of despair that was in his heart, Ace still finds it hard to say goodbye.

He knows he can come back anytime. And he will, of course. He and Sabo both agreed to visit as much as possible.

But dammit if it isn’t still hard. Life is going to be very different from here on out.

Eventually, the time comes to say their goodbyes and Luffy decides not to follow them out since he “knows they’ll come back anyway.”

And that's that. No tearful well-wishes, no promises to take care of himself. 

Just a quick "alright, love you, see ya later" and he was gone. That's Luffy for ya.

He had said he wasn't sad about dying. In fact, he saw it as a new, great adventure that he was already ecstatic about.

Luffy will get to meet new people and experience all these new things that Ace and Sabo won't get to have any part of. That they won't _be_ any part of.

And he won't admit it, but to Ace, that's the part that hurts.

But he knows that Luffy has to live his own life (after death). He can't be jealous of that because this is Luffy's story now. 

It's his adventure and he's _happy_ and that's all that matters in the end.

The contentment Ace feels for his brother's future in this place overwhelmingly outweighs the sadness he feels for his own loss.

That's why he and Sabo are able to leave Luffy behind without a second thought. Luffy is moving on and it's time for them to do so as well.

At the front desk, the receptionist named Vivi slides something across the countertop and Ace realizes it’s his mother’s watch. He’d thought it was gone for good.

“Where did you--?”

“I have a friend with sticky fingers,” she says with a soft smile and a wink. “I’m really sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No problem,” he smiles back. “Thank you.”

As they walk out through the front door, Ace feels at peace, like everything’s right with the world, and he can tell that Sabo feels it too, though the guy has been particularly quiet since they'd said goodbye.

Ace takes a deep breath, basking in the sunlight and the feeling of being alive. He won’t take that feeling for granted anymore.

“So, did you finally get your closure?” he asks his brother on the way to the car, just to be sure.

He hasn't admitted it yet, but he's eternally grateful to his brother for dragging him out here on this crazy mission. He should really thank him.

Sabo drops his bag suddenly and yanks Ace into a squeezing hug that makes his spine pop.

“Yes, I did... God, I'm so happy this worked out." Sabo relents his squeezing assault but still keeps Ace trapped in a hug. "What about you?"

“Yeah, yeah, you big sap. Jeez.” Ace grumbles while pushing him away, but still unable to hide the grin on his face. "Let's go home."

And so they do.

They drive away and happily leave a piece of their hearts behind them in that beautiful, haunted hotel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on [Tumblr](https://ruskaina.tumblr.com/) if you want to yell at me for something. :)
> 
> EDIT: Pleeease look at [this other awesome art](https://cowboyzoro.tumblr.com/post/613421473183449088/nopleaseexplain-thought-id-give-u-an-updated) of ghost!Zoro by [Vandereer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vandereer/pseuds/Vandereer) or cowboyzoro on Tumblr!!


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